Blue Valley shimmered beneath the night sky like a forgotten dream.
Silver moonlight flowed softly across the endless fields of glowing White Lilies while pale rivers reflected the heavens above like broken mirrors scattered through the sacred valley. Countless luminous particles drifted lazily through the cold night air, wrapping the entire region in an ethereal beauty that almost felt unreal.
Yet beneath that beauty—
Competition raged endlessly.
The Ashfang Clan and Moonscale Clan continued harvesting White Lilies aggressively throughout the valley while subtle hostility spread constantly between both factions.
Shouts echoed occasionally.
Mana flared.
Arguments erupted over flower territories and gathering zones.
And somewhere amidst all that draconic chaos—
Kel quietly continued collecting White Lilies.
The black-haired man moved naturally through the glowing flower fields beneath his illusionary disguise while silver moonlight reflected softly across the false black scales decorating his neck.
His expression remained calm.
Relaxed even.
Because compared to the dangers of the Dragon Realm itself—
This situation almost felt peaceful.
Sairen's voice echoed softly through the soul-link.
"…You've gathered enough already."
Kel calmly plucked another glowing White Lily.
"There's no such thing as enough rare medicine ingredients."
The guardian sighed quietly.
"…You sound exactly like an alchemist addicted to collecting ingredients."
Kel smiled faintly.
"Because I am."
The moonlight drifted softly across the valley as he stepped deeper into one of the quieter gathering regions near the glowing riverbanks.
Fewer draconic warriors gathered here.
Perhaps because the terrain became narrower between crystal-blue streams and ancient silver trees.
The White Lilies growing near the rivers looked especially beautiful.
Larger.
Brighter.
And naturally—
More valuable.
Kel slowly crouched near one particularly radiant White Lily blooming beside the river's edge.
Its silver-white petals glowed gently beneath the moon while faint blue mana drifted around the flower like mist.
Rare.
High quality.
Kel extended one hand calmly toward it.
At the exact same moment—
Another hand reached for the flower too.
Their fingers touched lightly above the glowing White Lily.
Cold.
Smooth.
Scaled slightly along the wrist.
Both instinctively paused.
Then simultaneously—
Both withdrew their hands slightly.
Kel calmly raised his eyes.
And met silver.
A draconic woman stood opposite him beneath the moonlight.
Silver hair flowed softly down her back like liquid moonlight while pale silver scales decorated the sides of her neck and collarbone elegantly. Two curved crystalline horns rose gracefully from her head while slit silver-blue eyes stared toward him sharply.
Her robes carried the elegant crest of the Moonscale Clan embroidered with flowing silver thread.
Noble.
Refined.
Beautiful.
And visibly irritated.
The silver dragon woman frowned slightly before speaking coldly.
"I saw this White Lily first."
Her voice sounded smooth yet sharp beneath the quiet night winds.
"So don't even think about touching it."
The surrounding moonlight reflected beautifully across her silver scales while one elegant hand already moved toward the flower again possessively.
Meanwhile—
Kel simply looked at her quietly for a second.
Sairen immediately whispered through the soul-link.
"…Do not start another clan conflict."
Kel almost laughed softly hearing the suspicion in her voice.
Then calmly—
He answered the silver dragon woman.
"Okay."
And stood up.
Then simply walked away.
Silence.
The silver dragon woman froze slightly.
Her hand still hovered above the White Lily.
The response completely failed to match her expectations.
No argument.
No mocking.
No aggression.
Especially not from a supposed Ashfang black dragon.
The Moonscale woman slowly blinked once while watching the black-scaled man casually leave.
"…What?"
Meanwhile—
Kel continued walking calmly through the flower fields without looking back.
Sairen sounded amused now.
"…You broke her expectations."
Kel quietly smiled faintly.
"Most conflicts continue because people react predictably."
Behind him—
The silver dragon woman still stared toward his back beneath the moonlight.
Confusion gradually replaced irritation within her expression.
Because Ashfang dragons were infamous throughout the Dragon Realm.
Aggressive.
Provocative.
Prideful.
Especially toward the Moonscale Clan.
Yet this man…
Simply yielded the flower immediately.
No hostility.
No sarcasm.
No challenge.
The silver dragon woman slowly lowered her gaze toward the glowing White Lily in her hand.
Then back toward Kel's retreating figure.
And unfortunately—
Her thoughts immediately twisted in the wrong direction.
"…Does he think I'm beneath him?"
The idea surfaced naturally inside her mind.
The Moonscale Clan valued status heavily.
Pride.
Competence.
Elegance.
And among draconic nobility—
Being ignored often felt more insulting than open hostility.
The silver dragon woman narrowed her eyes slightly while watching Kel continue gathering flowers elsewhere without concern.
"He gave it up too easily…"
One of her nearby clan companions approached curiously.
"Lady Seralyth?"
The silver-haired woman remained staring toward Kel.
"That Ashfang male…"
Her companion immediately frowned.
"Did he insult you?"
Seralyth hesitated briefly.
"…No."
That somehow irritated her more.
Because now her thoughts spiraled strangely.
Did he think competing with me wasn't even worth the effort?
Her silver-blue eyes narrowed slightly.
Or perhaps…
A faint dangerous thought surfaced.
…does he believe he already gathered far more than everyone else?
Meanwhile—
Kel remained entirely unaware of the internal storm he accidentally created.
The black-haired man calmly harvested another cluster of White Lilies near the glowing riverside while moonlight drifted softly through the valley.
Sairen quietly observed the situation through his eyes.
Then softly muttered—
"…You really are naturally troublesome."
Kel blinked once.
"What did I do?"
The guardian almost laughed.
"Exactly."
Meanwhile—
Far behind him—
Seralyth of the Moonscale Clan continued watching the strange Ashfang dragon silently.
And the more she watched—
The stranger he became.
Unlike the other black dragons loudly competing throughout the valley—
This one moved calmly.
Quietly.
Efficiently.
No arrogance.
No shouting.
No pointless rivalry.
Even his posture felt different.
Too composed.
Too controlled.
And somehow—
That calmness unsettled her more than aggression would have.
The silver dragon woman unconsciously tightened her grip slightly around the White Lily.
"…What exactly is wrong with that man?"